Looking for new hope
In Malé, anger at the government is palpable, so is frustration and a certain amount of despair. At a loss as to what to do, many Maldivians are calling for mass protests and urging the international community to intervene, writes Shafaa Hameed.
31 Aug 2015, 9:00 AM
The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is suffering from its biggest political setback in a decade. Its leader and former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed is back in jail. Other key opposition leaders are either in jail or in exile. The MDP has withdrawn from talks, noting that the government has failed to honor its commitments. All hopes for political reconciliation appears to have faded.
On Thursday, my colleague Saif and I walked the streets of Malé, canvassing opinions. In the capital, anger at the government is palpable, so is frustration and a certain amount of despair. At a loss as to what to do, many Maldivians are calling for mass protests and urging the international community to intervene.
“The only solution to this crisis is the overthrow of President Abdulla Yameen’s regime,” said one middle-aged woman who wished to remain anonymous. “How can we talk to the government when we are slowly losing our right to free speech? I never thought I’d say this, but Yameen’s regime is worse than his brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s 30-year rule.”
Fear, absent on the streets of Malé since 2007, appears to be slowly creeping back.
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